Description of Mercury:
Mercury or quick silver is poisonous. If too much mercury is absorbed, It could poison you.
The atomic symbol for mercury is HG.
Mercury is a liquid at room temperature, It has an extreme freezing point.
Freezing Mercury
Materials:
Mercury
Acetone
A medium sized beaker
A small jar
Tweezers
Dry Ice ( if possible to obtain)
Plan:
I want to cool mercury and the oxygen to the freezing point of mercury (see the link) and see if i can solidify it long enough to
be able to grab the solid mercury with tweezers before it becomes liquid again.
Procedure:
1. Place the mercury in the small jar.
2. Pour some acetone into the beaker.
3. Place the dry ice into the same beaker.
4. After all of the dry ice is dissolved, place the jar in the beaker.
5. Wait about 5-10 min. for mercury with a diameter of about a little less than 1cm.
6. Once the mercury is frozen, hold it with the tweezers. Materials used for beating heart:
Potassium Permanginate
Sulfuric acid
Mercury
Watchglass
Plan "Beating Heart":
I saw a video on youtube and it had a plate with some mercury, potassium Permanginate, and sulfuric acid. When a
nail was close to the mercury and maybe even touching, the mercury would start to move and if you held it in the right
position, the mercury would sort of transform into a triangle that resembles a "beating heart".
Hypothesis for Freezing Mercury:
I think that it will be really hard to freeze mercury. I will definitely need dry ice to do this experiment.
I think that I might not be able to freeze it completely because it has a very very low freezing point and
if i do solidify it, I don't think I will be able to grab it with tweezers.
Hypothesis for "Beating Heart":
The "Beating Heart" experiment looks like a very hard one. I might not be able to get all of the supplies I need.
If I do get them, then i think it will be a very fun experiment and it will probably take a while to succeed.
Result of Freezing Mercury:
The results actually surprised me. I was able to get it out of the jar and actually hold it for a few seconds.
Results of "Beating Heart":
I wasn't too surprised with the results i was able to achieve the actual heart many times . I think it was a really
fun experiment and I would definitely do it again.
I used a book to find out more about the experiment and it has many other experiments in it.
It is called Chemical Curiosities
By: H.W.Roesky and K.Mockel
Mercury Experiments
Description of Mercury:
Mercury or quick silver is poisonous. If too much mercury is absorbed, It could poison you.
The atomic symbol for mercury is HG.
Mercury is a liquid at room temperature, It has an extreme freezing point.
Freezing Mercury
Materials :
Mercury
Acetone
A medium sized beaker
A small jar
Tweezers
Dry Ice ( if possible to obtain)
Plan:
I want to cool mercury and the oxygen to the freezing point of mercury (see the link) and see if i can solidify it long enough to
be able to grab the solid mercury with tweezers before it becomes liquid again.
Procedure:
1. Place the mercury in the small jar.
2. Pour some acetone into the beaker.
3. Place the dry ice into the same beaker.
4. After all of the dry ice is dissolved, place the jar in the beaker.
5. Wait about 5-10 min. for mercury with a diameter of about a little less than 1cm.
6. Once the mercury is frozen, hold it with the tweezers.
Materials used for beating heart:
Potassium Permanginate
Sulfuric acid
Mercury
Watchglass
Plan "Beating Heart":
I saw a video on youtube and it had a plate with some mercury, potassium Permanginate, and sulfuric acid. When a
nail was close to the mercury and maybe even touching, the mercury would start to move and if you held it in the right
position, the mercury would sort of transform into a triangle that resembles a "beating heart".
Hypothesis for Freezing Mercury:
I think that it will be really hard to freeze mercury. I will definitely need dry ice to do this experiment.
I think that I might not be able to freeze it completely because it has a very very low freezing point and
if i do solidify it, I don't think I will be able to grab it with tweezers.
Hypothesis for "Beating Heart":
The "Beating Heart" experiment looks like a very hard one. I might not be able to get all of the supplies I need.
If I do get them, then i think it will be a very fun experiment and it will probably take a while to succeed.
Result of Freezing Mercury:
The results actually surprised me. I was able to get it out of the jar and actually hold it for a few seconds.
Results of "Beating Heart":
I wasn't too surprised with the results i was able to achieve the actual heart many times . I think it was a really
fun experiment and I would definitely do it again.
Links used to research freezing mercury:
Freezing Point of Mercury
Temperature of Dry Ice
Mercury and its Characteristics
You Tube of Freezing Mercury
Acetone and Dry Ice Experiment
Links used to research "beating heart":
Youtube of beating heart
I used a book to find out more about the experiment and it has many other experiments in it.
It is called Chemical Curiosities
By: H.W.Roesky and K.Mockel